Pivoted side jaw wrench having arcuate guide slot and longitudinally slidable actuator



PIVOTED SIDE JAW WiRENCH HAVING ARCUATE GUIDE SLOT AND LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE ACTUATOR Filed May 5, 1949 0d. 2, 1951 F E, BRADLEY 2,569,551

FIG. I.

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Fred- E. Bradley fla MVEJ ATTORN EYS.

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 PIVOTED SIDE JAW WRENCH HAVING'ARCU- ATE GUIDE SLOT AND LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE ACTUATOR Fred E. Bradley, Ferguson, Mo. Application May 5, 1949, Serial No. 91,530

2 Claims. (01. iii-1'12) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches, and more particularly those of the adjustable type.

v Heretofore, most wrenches of the adjustable type commonly used have been tedious to operate, frequently requiring numerous operations before the correct adjustment corresponding to the nut or bolt head size can be effected. In many cases both hands of the user are required to accomplish the operation, since the wrench cannot be conveniently adjusted by the same hand in which it is held. Also, several proposed types incorporate two-piece handles, each piece movable with the jaw portions, thus creating the danger of pinching the operator hand when using the wrench. Furthermore, these previous designs are often subject to considerable lateral distortion such being avoided only by designs which are heavy and unwieldly.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a wrench which can be adjusted easily in a single operation and requiring the use of only one hand.

Another object is to provide a wrench which is protected from lateral distortion, but yet is extremely light in weight, compact, and sturdy.

A further object is to provide a wrench whose operation is identical from each side, so that it can be operated substantially from the position in which it is first grasped in the hand of the operator, thus eliminating the needless requirement of occasionally rotating the wrench in the hand from its one side to the other.

A still further object is to provide a wrench which is composed of a minimum number of parts, and which can therefore be cheaply and easily manufactured.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed drawing which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the wrench looking toward one face and showing the jaws in a wide, open position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward theother face and showing the jaws in closely spaced relation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, on a reduced scale, of one side of the wrench and showing the position of the operator's hand when manipulating the wrench toward an open position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but showing the position of the operator's hand when manipulating the wrench toward closed position,

In general, my adjustable wrench comprises a major body 6, having a handle portion 1, a jaw portion 8, and an elongated, relatively wide intermediate portion 9; a minor body I0 having abase'portion H and a jaw portion I2; a pivot means IS; an adjusting means [4; and a retaining means [5.

Referring to Fig. 2, the intermediate portion 9 of the major body 6 has a relatively wide portion l6 containing a threaded aperture ll, a rearwardly tapering, and elongated portion .18 provided with a longitudinally extending slot l9 located substantially along the longitudinal axis thereof. A threaded aperture 22 is provided adjacent the juncture of said intermediate portion with the handle portion 1. The intermediate portion 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is of reduced thickness, as compared with the thickness of the handle portion 1 and the jaw portion 8. providing a recess 23 extending from the juncture of the intermediate and jaw portions to the junc-' ness of the base portion H is preferably equal to the depth of the recess, so that the exterior surface of the base portion will lie in the same plane as the exterior surfaces of the jaw and handle,

portions of the major body 6. Otherwise both sides of the wrench are continuous, relatively smooth surfaces, thus eliminating possibility of pinching theoperators hand when the wrench is in use. The base portion II, as in Fig. 1, is provided with transversally extending arcuate slot 20 at the wide end 24, adjacent the jaw portion 12, the

arcuate slot having a countersink 25. This base portion is also provided with a longitudinally extending, elongated slot 2| congruous with the slot I9 in the intermediate portion [8, but disposed at a slightly angular relation thereto, when the wrench is in open position. A countersink aperture 26, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided in the base portion at its end adjacent the handle portion.

As shown in Fig. 3, pivot means I3 is preferably a machine screw 21, which is coextensive with apertures 22 and 26 in the major and minor bodies respectively, the screw being threaded into the aperture 22. Thus the minor body In is pivotally attached to major body 6 at a point 3 substantially in the middle of the wrench, remote from the handle portion, so as not to interfere with the operators grip on the wrench.

The adjusting means M, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, includes a stud 28, having button-head portions 29 at each end thereof. The stud diameter is such as to have a sliding fit in the slots [9 and 2|, and is movable within the slots, so that its button-head portionsare in slidable relation to the exterior faces of the intermediate portion 9 and base portion II.

The retaining means [5, asshown-best in. Figs.

1 and 3, may consist of a flatrhea'd, machine. screw- 30, the shank of which is threaded into the aperture ll of the intermediate portion 9 of the major body. The screw 30 is coextensively mounted with respect to said.aperture l1- and arcuate slot of the base portion H of the minor body, so that the head of said screw lies entirelywithin the countersink of the arcuate slot. Thus: the head of screw. 3.0 will not intertere with manipulation of:the adjusting means 14..

To. operate the wrench, it; may be; easily'grasped aszillustrated in 4 and 5, wherein it. will be noted. that the adjustment is accomplishedby means of. the thumb, which manipulates the ad.- jacent button-head portion 2.9 of the adjustin means l4. The, wrenchin an open position, as in Fig. 1, is brought into embracing relation with a nut or bolt head, that is, so that the latter is between the jaw portions 8 and [2. The adjusting, means Mis then forced-forwardly, as in Fig. 5,.until. the nut or desired object is gripped by thejaw portions 8 and I2,

The adjustment, thereby accomplished in but one operation of theadjusting means M, will. be eifectively maintained while using the wrench- Any pressure, caused by turning a nut or bolt, tends to spread the jaw portions, and this pressure is transmitted to the base and intermediate portions which apply a combined shearing and.

compressive force onthe stud 28. This force, so

produced, tends to-set up a frictional force between the studand. said. portions, sufiicient to effectively lock. the wrench in its previously adjusted position.

To remove the wrench from the object so gripped, it is merely necessary to retract; the adjusting means M, as shown in Fig. 4.

It is to be. noted that the wrench so described can be operated from either face, and that. its operation is identical from either face. Itis to be further noted that an infinite number of ad-- justments can be effected within the range of' the wrench.

As. a result of the retaining means 5, the possibility of lateral distortion, with consequentinjury to the wrench, is substantially lessened. Such injury is often caused whenwrenches are accidently dropped or if subjected to. extreme operating conditions, if no means is provided to guard against such injury.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of a major body comprisinga handle portion, a jaw portion, and an elongated, relatively wide intermediate portion between said handle and jaw portions, a minor body comprising a jaw portion and an elongated, relatively wide base portion juxtaposed with respect to said intermediate portion of the major body, so that the jaw portions of said bodies are in work-engaging relationship, one of said relatively wide portions being provided with a transversely extending arcuate slot struck from, an adjacent said handleportion, means pivotally connecting said major and minor bodies together at said axis,

means carried by and reciprocable longitudinally said. axis... whereby said jaw portions may be moved toward and away from each other, and

means comprising a shank extending into said arcuate slot of the one relatively wide portion and rigid with the other relatively wide portion of said'bodi'es and a head on the shank to prevent separation of said portions of the bodies in the direction of said axis.

2. In an: adjustable wrench,.the combination. of a major body comprising a. handle portion,, a, jaw portion, and. anelongated, relatively wide intermediate portion between said handle and; jaw portions, a minor body comprising a. jaw; portion and an elongated, relatively wide base: portion juxtaposed with respect to said intermediate portion of the majorbody, so that. the. jaw: portions of said bodies; are in work-engaging relationship,.one of: said relatively wide portions being provided with a.- transversely extending;

arcuate slot struck from an axis adjacent said;

handle portion, and said elongated portions of said bodies each provided with a longitudinallyextending slot, said last mentioned slots located witntheir axes in diverging relationship, means.

pivotally connecting said major and minor bodies, together at said first mentionedaxis, means comprising a shank extending into said arcuate slot of the onerelatively wide-portion and rigid with.

the other relatively wide portion of said bodies.

and a head on the shank to prevent lateral sop-- aration' of said portions of the bodies in the direction of said first mentionedaxis, and means comprising a stud extending thru said longitudinally extending slots. and having a diameter substantially equal to the width thereof and a. button-head portion on each end of said stud, rigid therewith and overlying the outer face of that:

REFERENCES CITED The following references; are of record in the.

file of this. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 992,511 Longfellow May'16', 191i 1,041,967 Cronk 1. Oct. 22, 1912' 2,018,047 Wooley Oct. 22, 1935 

